AAR Bummers

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: AAR Bummers

Were you with 3rd Div? Are you saying you found civilians and food on Saturday? I know we saw civilians on Sunday.

Jim Butler

Jim,

Yes, we did find civilians and food late Saturday. Sean was part of the 93rd IL party in the Third Division. We are the ones that were left on top of a very steep and high hill by ourselves Saturday afternoon. Eric told me there was a T in the road with food and water not far form there. He went to check and would be back. When he did not come back and we struck out on our own that is the direction I took my men.

Many posts back I posted a detailed AAR of the the 93rd IL. However a bit to long.

[Greg Barnett]

Re: AAR Bummers

I had a wonderful experience. I want to thank the organizers and my friends for the effort put forth. It is not an easy job.

I have found little time since returning home to type everything completely. I thought I might post what I have completed before the thread is closed. I hope to finish and post the remainder.

I had the pleasure to serve as 1st Lt for Company E, 11th GA Militia. The experience for me was excellent. The men of the company did as they were asked to do and Captain Hancock and Orderly Sgt Brown issued the orders as they were received.

Friday night:
The 11th Ga. Militia stepped off around ten o'clock and proceeded to march trough two washes in the road and the steadily up hill for about two miles. The march was slowed several times, as men dropped out of line time and time again. I guess the old men and boys became lazy whilst at home for the agricultural leave. They soon found their legs. After the brief jaunt, we were halted at the top right on a large pile of rocks. Not big rocks, just a brazilion small ones. The kind you find trough out the night in your shoulder blade and at your hip. The companies took positions alternating on each side of the road. A few small cook fires were made.
The companies drew rations. This included pork belly and sweet potato. The officers had drawn rations earlier. A water source was at hand.

Saturday:
I rose at about four and sat by a fire and shared some coffee with a few friends I had not seen for awhile. We even managed a joke or two. We found some new comedy in "Milky". The men were falled in at five and morning report was made. Company E consisted of Capt, Lt, Orderly Sgt and 18 men. Damn fine men at that. The men cooked up their pork and prepared the gear.
We were soon marched off. We proceeded down the road to where Capt Hunter's company D had maintained a post trough the night. We found a few refugees and a covered wagon at the fork in the road. We did not stop nor speak to the civilians. Myself, being at the rear of the formation, starred at them a bit since they were the first women I had seen in the country. Companies A and B took the low road and the other three companies took the high road. We marched again upward and along a long ridge. We are good at keeping the high ground. We passed a good spring along the way and did not stop to take water. After about 2 miles we found our spot and were ordered to halt. It was now around 730. Our company was ordered to position a squad at the end of the known road. The other squad was held in reserve about 200 yards back. We did find another water source and took water. We also managed to find another road, which was unmapped and send two men out 200 yards to probe.
It was not long before the command was notified that civilians had been located. Three women and a gentleman had been camped at the end of the road. We were ordered to not let the folks pass our line until further orders. This seemed to work for a while. The men were rotated on positions and some of the men in reserve napped. No fires were made.
Capt Hicks visited the civilians and the cavalry provided more information about the unmapped road. Apparently, it was the road to nowhere. It did, however, yield a basket of corn and sweet potatoes as Private Kilpatrick found.
The civilian male was getting very irritated. I did not speak to him personally. I did not get close enough to the civilians to even make eye contact. I knew that as an officer they would expect me to make a decision. I had my orders and I did not want to piss them off more. The male became very loud. He accused my men of being immoral and threatened them with an axe. He claimed that he had killed 143 Indians with that axe. I am most certain my men feared for their lives. This fellow stated that he was 73 years old. He was a damn fine specimen for 73. He must have been from Tennessee. He claimed to have fought with Any Jackson, so I may be right. The men did have the right to fire a few warning shots in my opinion. The women also had hatchets.
It was also reported to me that the women were attempting to bribe my men in various ways that made them feel uncomfortable. I will say no more as I did not personally hear the conversations. I do know that Zack and Wiley were targets of their comments. I know that these simple folks of Georgia were impatient, but so were we. Sitting on top of this ridge for several hours was no fun and the men were not pleased. Some spoke of home and heading back there. I tried to keep them occupied by telling them of my many adventures in Auburn. I had attended East Alabama Male College in 1857. I spread my knowledge of my studies.
The men were mostly drawn back and placed further down on the side of the ridge. The companies were spread at intervals along the ridge face. Capt Comer’s men were to our left and Capt Hunters men to our right. This position over looked a road as it came up the side of the ridge along the valley. Our orders were to make sure that if the federals traveled the road, they would not try to come up the ridge. They would be forced to follow the road. This would put them face to face with the Indian Killer and his women. After placing the men in position as ordered by Capt Hancock, I ventured further down the side of the ridge toward the road. I proceeded about one 100 yards further than the men. I quickly realized that even the federal army was not damn fool enough to come up the face of the ridge. It was clearly 300 yards nearly straight up. Even if they did proceed up, one dozen men could keep them at bay. I ordered the second platoon to reform on our original position and for the first platoon to give to the left at even intervals. This was accomplished quickly. Just as quick as this happened, Capt Hicks ordered all companies to reform on the road. We were marching out. Around that time Capt Hicks allowed the civilians to pass along the road. It was not pleasant. They had some harsh words for our men, especially one private who had traveled the world. I guess the did not know that we took no pleasure in keeping them from their travels.

The time was approaching 2 in the afternoon. We had spent 6 hours waiting for federals that never came. The reports that we received from cavalry was they were on their way all day. Maybe they found something better or worse to do. We marched off in due order. I was glad to leave this ridge. We marched for a mile or so and caught up to Capt Hunter’s company watering. The civilians were there as well. Those ladies did not look too pleased. The man was not with them and there were only three ladies. I guess the man and the other women had moved on forward and left a heavy hand cart for the lovelys to handle. We passed them with caution and they did not look upon us. When Capt Comer’s company came, the ladies conversed freely with his men. The one lady spke very poorly of one of my privates. One of Capt Comer’s men said, “this lady says one of your men was creating distress for them.” I said “Yes they were.” I also said that they created the very distress that they received. We took water and left those women behind us.

We moved on the very road which we traveled early this morning. We passed the covered wagon again and ventured down the low road, in the direction of companies A abd B. We soon passed a small cabin. There seemed to be three ladies and a young boy present. He looked as if he could be old enough for the militia, but we did not stop. The men were tired from boredom and hungry I am sure. We had cooked nothing all day. They had only eaten raw corn and peanuts during the day. I guess that was good. We traveld down the road for about another ¾ of a mile and the road opened into an area desolete. The earth had been scared by someone or something. There was a large imposing, denuded hill to our left. This was to be our post.

The men fell out and positioned themselves in a rifle pit to escape the sun. There was very little to no shade. Our orders were to watch the road and guard the backside of this hill, as there were works on the otherside occupied by companies A and B. I found a shaded spot and napped sitting up in my gear.

Lots of comotion was taking place on the road that we were watching. Shannon’s Cav were hot and heavy on the road. As well as several militia men that I didn’t know. Sgt Brown and I were asked to go back to the cabin, that we had padded, to have a look see for deserters. We joked that we were desserters, cause we wanted dessert. We made it to the cabin. The ladies from earlier that day were there. Another lady introduced Mrs McDonald to me. She was from Westville and was trying to get home. I recognized the gentleman present, I believe I had met him in Westville. Maybe I met him at the tavern a few years back of this. The civilians stated that they knew of no desserters and we took them at their word. The civilians asked if we had whiskey and we asked them the same. Neither could accomadate the other.

Sgt Brown and I walked down the road back to our lines. On the way back, we saw a pile of straw. This looked like a perfect and most comfortable place to sit. I have really missed have a chair to sit in. The seat was most comfortable. From this spot, we could see our company and even hear their conversations. They did not see us. A few of the other men, who have not seen combat in the past, have been bitching about not engaging the federals. I had told these men all day that I could care less if we never saw a damn yankee.

I thought I would give them a thrill. I fired a shot from my old double barrel shotgun. That sure did get their attention. Sgt Brown and I had a good laugh at the companies expense. Although, we damn near got ourselves shot. I should have known better. Ithink the men felt better. We are, after all Militia not regulars.



By the time Sgt Brown and I got back to the lines, it was approaching dusk.

An engagement had broken out on the other side of the hill, foundly called porkchop hill as well as other things. The fighting was far in the distance. My men wished they were part of this. I do not understand the disire for battle or engagement.

A water detail was gathered. A detail was also called to the commisary to receive rations. The rations were taken well by the men. They had drawn more pork bellies. The men cooked for the first time in 12 hours. I had a bit of rice and smoked beef. The men were content for a bit, but started talk of heading out through the lines toward home. Sgt Brown agreed to take a patrol out for a walk to a cabin in the distance. The patrol soon returned and found their place by the fire. Darkness had fallen and I was ready for sleep.

Pvt JC Kimmer called all of the men to gather around the fire for prayer service. I found myself being calmed by the songs and the words and I was soon fast asleep.


Sunday's report to come...

Lt G S Barnett
Co E, 11th Georgia Militia

[missourirelics]

Re: AAR Bummers

A belated reply to Mr. Stone...a truck pulled that arty no where. Oh ya, some of our corn just got out a week and half a go, cotton is still in (southeast, MO). I love know it alls.

Paul Arnold

[Mike Nickerson]

Re: AAR Bummers

...Was it designed for us to go off Reservation property through a modern gate and pass a modern homestead and hunting camps? ...

Pete, the Cav rode by and around the same things to get through on the Southern road. The road goes to a trail, a game trail, a rock-slide and back to trail a little ways East of the gate. The map shows the road goes all the way through, but there is a about an 1/2 mile break (one rocky a$$ hill you boys are now very familiar with). I'm impressed y'all made it that far! It took us an 1/2 hour by horse downhill, so it must have been hell on foot uphill. We rode through that area about 9 am on Saturday, and wrote-it-off as no place the Feds would ever make it to.

It's been said a few times before, but a couple of mounted scouts for each Company would have been worth their weight in gold.


Mike Nickerson

[fahnenschmied]

Re: AAR Bummers

Still cotton to be had here too. Can't eat that though. Was your corn fresh green corn or was it field corn, dried on the stalks? The last corn I saw standing here in eastern NC was about three or four weeks ago, long turned brown. While I wished I did know everything, I don't, but I do know that many crops have been genetically altered to make them "better" in many ways. Old cotton had the bolls mature at different times, just fine for hand picking - now the modern strains mature all the bolls at more or less the same time, so a machine can harvest it. And they leave so much behind, it would have been considered a good crop only handful of decades ago. As to the agriculture of corn, I don't know anything, I just like to eat it. And I know its long gone from the produce stands, and that I didn't see any in fields on the drive down.
Didn't mean to accuse anybody of mechanized artillery - its just I've been to so many events where guns are moved so, and when I saw those taillights in the middle of a skirmish its the first thing I thought of.
Whatever the case, I was grateful for that white truck which delivered us the forage we had missed all day Saturday, including some boxes of corn, which I was happy to get!

[Hank Trent]

Re: AAR Bummers

Still cotton to be had here too. Can't eat that though. Was your corn fresh green corn or was it field corn, dried on the stalks? The last corn I saw standing here in eastern NC was about three or four weeks ago, long turned brown.

I don't doubt that it would be possible to have sweet corn in the milk stage in Georgia in November of 1864, but the odds that every single household in that poor country just happened to have some, compared to the odds of finding field corn at varying degrees of maturity, seemed a stretch.

It wasn't a big deal to me, but I'd be curious if there was some evidence that Bummers finding green sweet corn was typical. Was it a deliberate choice, or a matter of simplifying logistics? I figured it was just one of those inevitable concessions to modern practicalities that affect every event, which one just needs to overlook. Having some more mature field corn might have been more typical, but not having the event at all would have been much worse.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[PetePaolillo]

Re: AAR Bummers

Pete, the Cav rode by and around the same things to get through on the Southern road. The road goes to a trail, a game trail, a rock-slide and back to trail a little ways East of the gate. The map shows the road goes all the way through, but there is a about an 1/2 mile break (one rocky a$$ hill you boys are now very familiar with). I'm impressed y'all made it that far! It took us an 1/2 hour by horse downhill, so it must have been hell on foot uphill. We rode through that area about 9 am on Saturday, and wrote-it-off as no place the Feds would ever make it to.

It's been said a few times before, but a couple of mounted scouts for each Company would have been worth their weight in gold.


Mike Nickerson

Mike...It was a nice climb.:cry_smile....I realize now we were actually supposed to be there and not lost. We were just behind the schedule some with our movement being pretty slow as can be imagined. We saw the horse droppings and tracks so we knew you boys were there. We were wondering if we were going to run into ya'll. I would have been surprised to see the horses make that climb but it could have definately helped us figure out if we needed to at all. It would have been great to have some mounted foragers because we know from the accounts that the foraging parties loaded up mules, horses and cattle with forage to bring back to the column.

Private in the " behind schedule and not lost" 3rd Div;)

[Eric Tipton]

Re: AAR Bummers

Hello Everyone:

Well, it has been a week since everyone started arriving in Georgia. Hard to believe it has already been that long.

The Event Staff is putting the finishing touches on our "Official Report", which we plan to publish Monday night. We have been watching all of your replies intently and hope our report will clarify some things and hopefully help others who plan to organize an event in the future. It will also help you understand our mindset through two years of planning logistics, scenario, etc.

Look for the report on Monday. Thanks everyone.

[flattop32355]

Re: AAR Bummers

It would have been great to have some mounted foragers because we know from the accounts that the foraging parties loaded up mules, horses and cattle with forage to bring back to the column.

And

It's been said a few times before, but a couple of mounted scouts for each Company would have been worth their weight in gold.
Mike Nickerson

I'm not aware of any accounts, other than for cavalry, where the men started out the March to the Sea with any horses, etc, devoted to the foraging parties' efforts. These animals tended to be picked up along the way from the civilian population they foraged from, and were only available to them so long as higher command didn't requisition them away for use by the cavalry, which happened all too often.

I also don't recall reading about mounted scouts or even parties of cavalry telling foraging parties where to go for provisions. They generally had their own jobs to do, unrelated to foraging. Best as I can tell, Kilpatrick's entire force was screening to the south and making threats towards Macon.

The more modern end is that (I'd hazard a guess, here) most reenactors don't have a lot of experience dealing with large animals, and it could become a more dangerous situation than it's worth to try it, unless they were picked men with knowledge aforehand.

While I agree that mounted scouts would have been quite useful (until captured by the Rebs) and mounted foragers would have been interesting, I don't think the event suffered from their lack.

[PetePaolillo]

Re: AAR Bummers

I'm not aware of any accounts, other than for cavalry, where the men started out the March to the Sea with any horses, etc, devoted to the foraging parties' efforts. These animals tended to be picked up along the way from the civilian population they foraged from, and were only available to them so long as higher command didn't requisition them away for use by the cavalry, which happened all too often.

Bernie...Who says we were starting out the March? We were recreating scattered events from the first ten days of the March...Who knows what ten days we were actually portraying in the two day weekend?...We did not start in Atlanta either..Lets not pick nits here...I prepared for this event.

little excerpt for you..This is one of many accounts I was basing my thoughts on...
The men scattered over the country in every direction, taking care to keep near enough together to be able to protect themselves against a sudden dash of the enemy's cavalry which hovered about the flank of the marching army. They started out at daybreak on foot, and returned at nightfall mounted on horses and mules, or driving wagons, carts, family carriages, or buggies heavy-laden with all kinds of provisions. It was a sorry moment for a Georgia plantation when a party of Sherman's "bummers," as the foragers came to be called, descended upon it.

http://books.google.com/books?id=A6EOAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showpost.php?p=161899&postcount=25

[Chuck A Luck]

Re: AAR Bummers

I was in the same foraging group as mr english and I had a blast. the march was damn tough at times but enjoyable. I've done worse in this hobby. we in the second div did get 'lost' for a bit it seemed, we marched over the same ground a couple times, but did all the actual foraging parties all know where to go all the time? once we made it to a homestead around 3pm or so all was well. I personally found a huge satchell of grub and distibuted it amongst my pards an all who were hungry. we had a spirited firefight defending the homestead sat night. Don't let Mr English speak for all of us 2nd div folks. we of company a of the cvg had a blast as part of the 48th IL. six started and six finished.

I was also part of the 48th Ill, under the command of the able Lt. Wm. Cross, and found the event challenging (to say the least), and pretty darn enjoyable. I'm pretty sure that having to play Billy Goat up the side of the mountain for so long on Saturday morning & into Saturday afternoon probably threw the schedule off a bit, but we had a good time none the less. Many a good joke was made about the amount of foliage & bark still on the trees we were passing, despite the fact that Bob Martin and his inestimable & unfilled gut were ahead of us in the long & winding ranks. ;)
I'll admit at one point -- after descending a steep hill and then turning back to ascend it -- I was becoming a bit concerned, but climbed it I did, with a good bit of grumbling, which I considered not out of place in the ranks. Once we finally came across the two homesteads in the clearing I took up a post on the perimeter with my Henry whilst the others plundered and ravaged thru the tumbledown shacks. Luckily ol' Hawg Martin had a good rootin' nose of a true forager, and located a sack heavy with ham & yam. For that many of us are indebted. We had a nice scrape in the woods about sundown -- right when my boiler can was about to come to a boil! (of course!). We bloodied the ranks of the militia with rapid and constant fire, and they withdrew, not to return (despite our continued vigilance for an hour or so -- and continued rumbling of my still-unfed stomach! To keep my mind off the empty stomach I busied myself building a rather substantial stick fort amidst several upright trees. Once we were called off picket I was finally able to finish cooking & inhaling my dinner of boiled ham, yams and corn, and rarely had a meal been appreciated more.
Saturday evening the weather continued to be fair. Cool and clear, but not cold. Once morning came and we of the 48th were packed and ready to go, some sporadic gunfire in the distance portended a scrape. We were called to fall in, roll was taken... and then we were set to Rest. It was evidently decided by the Big Bugs that the services of our men were not required. I was a bit disappointed, as I was hoping to let Mr. Henry bark at the misguided secessionists a few more time. But such was not to be. Instead, we marched out from whence we came, and eventually reached the scout camp,
The event was over.

[Chip]

Re: AAR Bummers

It would have been great to have some mounted foragers because we know from the accounts that the foraging parties loaded up mules, horses and cattle with forage to bring back to the column.

Private in the " behind schedule and not lost" 3rd Div;)

Pete,

During the first week of the, "March," forage parties of the 15th and 17th Corps did not necessarily have horses and/or mules with them marching out from their regiments simply because of the road systems running out from, and parallel to, the Towaliga and Ocmulgee Rivers. And during the first week, there was much more of a cavalry screen in place. The other two columns had much different terrain to deal with, which often meant that they were dealing with much larger farms and/or plantations.
This evolved as the march went on into the broad leaf pine/sandy soil region where they had to travel much further distances.

There are many accounts of farmers turning out their stock before the arrival of any Federals. But in kind, many of these animals were picked up and/or wandered back and were used to haul forage back to the main column. The columns certainly didn't march out of Atlanta with an abundance of dedicated animals intended for use of the forage parties.

[Chip]

Re: AAR Bummers

Bernie...Who says we were starting out the March? We were recreating scattered events from the first ten days of the March...Who knows what ten days we were actually portraying in the two day weekend?...We did not start in Atlanta either..Lets not pick nits here...I prepared for this event.

Pete,

Please tell me where else along the original march did they actually run across terrain similar to what we were in at Bummers, except for the area around Planter's Ferry and Seven Islands?

It took the 15th Corps 36 hours to get the supply train over the ridges just past the pontoon bridges in that area, but the forage parties were already well in front of that location.

As I have stated previously, an ancestor of mine was in the 3rd Division of the 15th Corps. And he did participate in foraging... And I am very familiar with the whole route that his regiment followed.

[PetePaolillo]

Re: AAR Bummers

Pete,

Please tell me where else along the original march did they actually run across terrain similar to what we were in at Bummers, except for the area around Planter's Ferry and Seven Islands?

It took the 15th Corps 36 hours to get the supply train over the ridges just past the pontoon bridges in that area, but the forage parties were already well in front of that location.

Let us just be HONEST, most of us pulled off some great REVISION of history at Bummers.

Chip..since we seem to be discussing the real history as opposed to an AAR for the BUMMERS event..I have sent you a PM so we can continue this without disturbing the thread. Thanks:D

[Eric Tipton]

Re: AAR Bummers

Please tell me where else along the original march did they actually run across terrain similar to what we were in at Bummers, except for the area around Planter's Ferry and Seven Islands?

From "Marching With Sherman" By Henry Hitchcock
Sunday, November 13, 1864

"Amazing campaign through this wild country. Road often through dense woods, close underbrush and between hills."

"Begun of top of mountain and ran down the whole side and across our road and beyond."

This book was one of those on our reading list prior to the event:

http://www.bummers09.com/History.html

Remember that we were only about twenty or thirty miles from where the 15th Corps swung out from Atlanta before traveling southeast toward Savannah.